A trivia quiz on Finland.

Finland is called the country of thousands of lakes. Do you know how many lakes there actually are?

8,00018,00080,000180,000

The Finlandia Hymn, a symphonic poem which was the symbol of Finnish resistance to the Russian rule at the turn of the 20th century, was composed by Sibelius. Do you know the first name of this world-famous composer?

JanneJohnJeanJan

To the music loving world's great surprise, a Finnish band Lordi won the the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006. What was the name of their winning song?

Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, has inspired the author of one of the following international best-sellers. Which one?

The Lord of the Rings, a fantasy epic written by J.R.R. TolkienAlice in Wonderland, a novel written by Lewis CarrollStar Wars, an epic space opera film series created by George Lucas.Asterix, a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo.

The year 2009 was a historic moment for Finland as its national team beat Brazil for the first time. In what sport did that happen?

BasketballFootballIce hockeyVolleyball

Who are the indigenous people of Finland?

FinnsLappsRussiansSwedes

John Morton is one of the best known persons of Finnish origin in the U.S. What is he remberered for?

He was the first ski-jumper to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Winter Games.
He cast the decisive vote for the independence of the U.S.A.He was the first U.S. soldier killed in the Vietnam war.He was Josef Stalin’s secret lover.

Nils A. E. Nordenskiöld was a Finnish explorer almost totally forgotten by the world. What did do?

Discovered Iceland in the 15th century.Discovered Santa Claus at the Polar Circle in the 19th century.Discovered America 247 years before ColumbusDiscovered the Northeast Passage, a sea route from Europe to the Pacific.

What is the national musical instrument of Finland called?

KalevalaKanteleGallen-KallelaKekkonen

What is the average depth of Finnish lakes?

6m13m39m74m132m

What did Nokia manufacture before becoming number 1 in mobile phone business?

rubber bootsTV setstyrescablesall of the above

Martti Ahtisaari is one of the best known contemporary Finns in the world. What is he famous for?

He is the vocalist of the world-famous Finnish rock band Nightwish.He won Formula One world championship in two consecutive years.He won the Nobel Peace Prize.He danced naked in front of Queen Elizabeth.

Which of the following IT brands was not created by a Finn?

LinuxFirefox
IoFTPDAngry Birds

Aki Kaurismäki is Finland’s gift to the film-loving world. What makes him second to none is that he is regarded, by both critics and film directors all over the world, as one the best contemporary film makers. His newest film (2011) praised at the Cannes film festival was elected as Finland’s nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. What is the name of this film?

Le HelsinkiLe HavreLe MansLe Chicago

What is the national animal of Finland?

Arctic fox
Polar bearBrown bearReindeerPolar cat

Why did Tim Kopra, an American astronaut with Finnish roots, refuse to receive a sauna offered to him by Finpro, an organization that helps Finnish companies to operate on the international markets?

He thought that being naked in a small steamy room with other people was not acceptable.He was told by NASA to decline the offer because it could be regarded as a bribe.He was afraid that he might lose his job if the word of his Finnish ancestors spread.He already had a better one.

Which of the following statements concerning a Finnish sentence “Aja hiljaa sillalla” (Drive slowly on the bridge) is true?

It was once elected the most beautiful-sounding sentence in the world.It was once elected the sexiest sentence in the world.It was once elected the most unpleasant-sounding sentence in the world.It was once elected the most difficult sentence to pronounce in the world.

What is the national sport of Finland?

Cross-country skiingIce-hockeySwimmingBaseball

Finns’ innovative minds seem to know no limits – Especially when it comes to sports. In recent years Finns have organised several world championships that have no equivalents in other countries.
Below, you can find a list of “different” world championships of which all but one are Finnish inventions. Can you tell which is the one that isn’t Finnish?

World Wife Carrying Championships World Sauna ChampionshipsVodka-Drinking World ChampionshipsWinter Swimming World ChampionshipsRubber Boot Throwing World ChampionshipsMobile Phone Throwing World ChampionshipsMosquito Swatting World ChampionshipsSwamp Soccer World ChampionshipsAir Guitar World Championships

1939 to 1944, Finland had to fight twice against the Soviet Union to stay independent, which it did eventually. Here are four little known facts about the two Finno-Soviet wars. One of them, however, is incorrect. Which one?

Finland was the only country to pay its war reparations ( = payments intended to cover damage or injury caused to another country during a war).Finland fought the two wars without any significant military assistance from Germany.Finland only suffered one casualty against every ten casualties on the Soviet side.70,000 Finnish children were sent to Sweden to save them from the war.